Envelop moistener and sealer.



F. ROTH.

ENVELOP MDISTBNEB AND SEALBR.

Arrmoulon rILnn 113.2% 1908.

943,318, Patented Dec. 14,1909. rlp E, 15, 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

f 6 6' l J7 Zf/ l 7 6.? I t l f2 C l 57 l Y /l 6'! Z j I f7 /ff? A UNITED 1sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

FREDERICKl RoTHfoF NRW YORK, N. Y.

ENVELOP MOISTENER AN'D SEALER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec.; 14, -1909.

Application filed April 27, 1908. Serial No. 429,495.

in a position convenient for aiiixing thev stamps thereto.

. Another object ofthe invention is to provide a combined moistener and sealer in which the envelop can be quickly and easily passed through the device without the necessity of arranging the Hap in any particular position, the construction and arrangement .of the parts abeing such that as the said envelop is passed through the device, the mucilage of the fiap isfirst moistened, and then compressed to the body of the envelop as itpasses between the pressing rolls at-t-he end of the machine. Another object of the invention is to provide a novel form of moistening device whereby a minimum quantity of water can be made to moisten and seal the maximum number of envelops, and evaporation reduced to a minimum.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device in which the parts will be of such simple construction and their arrangement or combination also of such simple form that danger of the parts getting out of order is entirely avoide A still further object is to provide a device in which the molstening apparatus can be quickly and easily removed for the purpose of replenishing the supply of water.

With these various objects in view my invention consists essentially in the employment of a base-carrying one of a pair of pressing rolls, a cover and guide arranged above said base and carrying the other pressing roll, and a combined moistener and guide arranged between the base and guiding cover, said moistening device being connected with the base.

The invention consists also in the novel construction of the various parts and in` the novelties of combination or arrangement, all

and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this of which will be fully described hereinafter specificatiom-Figure l is' a top plan View.

of a combined moistener and sealer constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side View of the same. Fig. 3 is a view taken from the other side. Fig. 4 is a top plan View with `the cover or upper guide` removed. Fig. 5 is a vertical ylongitudinal sectional vlew of the complete device. Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view on the line 6 6 of F ig'.l 5, and Fig. 7 is a sectional view l of the moistening device taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 5, of the tank and moistener only.S

In constructinga moistener and sealerin y accordance with my invention I employ a base A which is preferably made of cast metal and-is hollow as shown, being open at the bottom and closed at the top, and at one endis constructed with atransverse troughlike depression A', the-ends of said trough being cut out as shown at. A2, to provide bearings for the' ournals of the lower pressing roll B.

A combined cover and top'guide C comprising horizontal plate C having the flange C2 at the rear side, said fiange being arranged -upon the rear side of the base'and pivotally connected to said base at C3 as most clearly shown in Fig. 3. `This plate also carries a flange C4 on the rear side and a similar flange C5 on the forward side, said fianges being notched to provide bearings for the journal of the upper roll B', and these'rolls B and B are held in contact by means of a spring D heldbet-ween lugs D carried by the base and rear liange of the cover, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6, said spring serving to hold -theentrance end of the cover and guide elevated and the delivery end depressed, thereby binding or pressing the top roll down upon the bottom roll, and the pressure upon the roll will be `evenly distributed from end to end. The base A is cut away at one side and in it fits the water tank or box E, said tank or box being r1gidly secured to the base by means of a screw E* which passes through the opposite side ofthe base and screws into the end of the box or tank and securely'fastens the said box or tank in the base.

^ ThisboX or tank E has the lower guide y and moistening` device connected therewith,

and this guide' and moistener may be integral with the tank or connected therewith in any suitable manner. This combined guide and moistener comprises a plate F, lthe edge F tapering as shown and rounded at F2, and it will be noted that this plate F is of such length that it extends nearly to the rear edge of the base, leaving suilicient space to permit the fold of the flap to pass between the end of the plate and the flange 2. The underside of this plate is formed with a. dovetail channel 5 or passage Gr in which is located the moistening strip Gr of peculiar construction as hereinafter more ,fully described, and this channel or passage G communicates with an angular or curve tubular portion G2 through which the moistening strip is passed as most clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the greater portion of said moistening strip being located in the water box or tank where it is continually absorbing Water and feeding it -to the .upper portion thereof by capillary" attraction, thereby l maintaining the proper amount of moisture at all times to be communicated to the muoilage on the flap.

The upper guide and cover C extend forwardly beyond the forward end ofthe base and said extending end is curved upwardly as shown at C, and this combined guide and cover is cut off upon an oblique line as shown at Clin order to provide ample space for the introduction of the envelop.

In operation the envelop is' fed into the device with the right hand with the face or addressed side uppermost, and the upper edge of said envelop will contact with the depending flange C2 and then as theenvelop is drawn through the device the upper edge of the envelop continues to bear against the depending rear flange of the combined cover and upper guide. The curved extended portion C insures the proper direction and position of the envelop as it enters'the device, and in passing the envelop through the device the upper face continues to bear against the combined cover and guide and the iny herent elasticity of the iap causes it to spring down and travel valong the top face ofthe base, and as it does so the guide-plate asses in between the body of the envelop an the flapfas the envelop is moved along, and inasmuch as the bottom ofthis plate F carries the moistening strip as before described, the face of this strip will be brought into contact with the gummed portion of the flap and will moisten the same, and it will be noted that an inclined face H is ar- A ranged upon the bottom of the plate just in advance of the moistening strip which serves to gradually open the flap so that it will pass freely beneath the moistening strip', and it will also be noted that the base A is constructed with a transverse inclined portion -.T just to the rear of the combined lower so that the moment the moistener, the sealing operation will begin, and as the envelop is carried along still bearing upon the under side of the combined cover and guide plate, it is caused to travel directly between the spring pressed rolls B and B', and it will be noted that the point of contact of these rolls is coincident with the bottom of the plate so that the envelop with the moistened flap will be easily directed between the said rolls. The envelop is held in the hand at the lower edge as it is passed through the deviceand as it emerges from the pressing rolls it will be delivered with the address side uppermost, ready for the stamp to be affixed, thereby greatly facilitating the mailing operations.- It will thus be -seen that I provide a combined moistener consisting of very few parts, all substantially constructed and not at all liable to get out of order.

In practice I prefer to construct the moistening strip from a piece of baize cloth, felt or other material capable of absorbing a large quantity of water and holding the same, and this piece of cloth or felt K is preferably enveloped in a piece of farmers satin L, or some other similar material which parts with its water more rapidly than the felt, and this fabric being on the out or bottom side imparts the proper amount of moisture to the flap of the envelop, `said moisture being supplied by the inner vheavier filling of baize or felt. Whenever it is desired to replenish the water supply, the screw E is released, thereby disconnecting box can then be quickly and easily with drawn, refilled, replaced and screwed up again, and as this box is screwed tightly into its place, it also brings the combined guide and moistener into its proper posiguide and moistener, iiap passes beneath the tion with relation to both the base and the upper guide.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desirel to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An envelop moistener and sealer comprising a base carrying a roll at one end, a water tank arranged within the base' and connected thereto, a guide plate connected vith said water tank and extending over the mse,

a moistening strip arranged upon the l roo the box E and base A and `said under side of the guide plate and extending '120 into the water tank, an upper guide having a rear flange connected to the base, said upper guide carrying a roll adapted to contact with the roll carriedv by the base together with means for holding said rolls in position, as set forth. i

2. In an envelop moistener and sealer, a base carrying a roll, a combined cover and guide also carryin a roll, said cover being pivotally connecter to the base, a spring for holding the hase and cover apart at one end, and the rolls in contactatthe other end, and

a combined lower guide and inoi'stener arranged between the base and cover, said lower gulde having a water tank, said tank being arranged in and connected with the base. Y

g5. An envelop moistener and sealer comprlsing a hollow base having a trough at one end and a roller journaled in said trough, a

top guide plate tapering toward theforward end and curved upwardly and carrying a roll at its rear end, said plate being pivotally Supported above the hase, a lower guide plate arranged between the base and top guide plate, a water tank to' which said guide plate is connected, said water tank being arranged in and connected with the base, the lower guide plate tapering toward its rear free end, and provided with .a channel in its lower face, and a moistening strip arranged infsad channel and extending into the Water tank, as set forth.

FREDERICK ROTH.

lVitnesses:

JULIUS HAURowl'rz, ISAAC LnviN. 

